My Foray into My Midwestern Roots

What Were We Thinking?

The Smile For the Camera 5th Edition is Crowning Glory. “Show us those wonderful photographs of hairdos and maybe even a few don’ts. Don’t limit yourself to just hair fashion through the ages, got a great photograph of a hat, helmet, bonnet, or some other interesting headgear? Share!”

So to respond to that call here are some photographs. I look at these and ask myself, “What were we thinking?” I am even including some of my horrible hairstyles through the years (boy, my kids will get a big kick out of these!) and to show that even though they are humiliating, I am willing to Share! (How ’bout the rest of you out there?)

The picture on the left is my Aunt Marie back in the late 60’s at our home in Ohio. Since we had a backyard pool, it was the rule that all girls and women had to wear a bathing cap so the hair wouldn’t accumulate in the filter and clog it up. Aunt Marie liked her flowery bathing cap!

The picture to the right is one of my Dad back when he was either still in highschool or right after he graduated (1939). It had to be before he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. Look at that hair! I guess I’m pretty biased – I think my dad is a good looking guy!

Ok – this is your’s truly in 2nd grade about 1968)! I HATE this picture because my hair was cut a day or so before school pictures were taken. This was one of the very last times I let my hair get cut this short! Some people thought I looked like a boy!

The picture below is one of my favorite school pictures (especially the color version). I was in Junior Highschool – I think 9th grade. I’m wearing make-up and since I wasn’t allowed to wear make-up until I was a Freshman, I tend to think it was my last year at the Jr. High. Notice the curls – that wasn’t easy to achieve with my naturally curly hair. No matter how long I used the curling iron, my hair wants to curl the opposite way! I also liked this picture because at 13, I looked much older (at least that’s what I was told) and back then I loved it when I looked older than I was (not so much anymore!).

To the left is a picture of my brother in the mid-50s in Japan. Not sure what the sailor cap was all about (since my dad was Army Air Corps)!

The little girl with the huge bow in her hair is my great-grandfather’s sister, Eva. This was probably taken about 1920 when she was about 10.

Below is a picture of my maternal grandparents, Glen and Vesta (Wilt) Johnson. I’m not sure if they were “courting” or already married at this point. I just love the hats they are wearing!